Open-end ratchet wrenches and pliers have been designed in many different forms or configurations. They are necessary to provide the tightening or loosening of a threaded bolt or nut in tight or limited spaces. As examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,604,919; 5,249,487 and 5,924,341.
Problems encountered with open-end ratchet wrenches of the prior art are inadequate and un-uniform drive support of the socket portion of the wrench which directly engages the nut or bolt head to be manipulated, and/or inadequate or sloppy gripping action between the socket portion and the nut or bolt head to be manipulated. It is a principal object of the present invention to eliminate these disadvantages.
For example, in the structure illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,341, cogwheel 20 is supported in cradle 28 by opposed pawls 17 and 40 which are spring biased to prevent rotation of cogwheel 20 in one direction. This arrangement provides un-uniform drive support for cogwheel 20 in cradle 28 as it is obvious when viewing the figures that when cogwheel 20 rotates counterclockwise relative to the cradle 28 there is nothing in the bottom of the cradle 28 to support the teeth 22 of cogwheel 20, which are free to engage the bottom U-shaped wall of cradle 28. The same problem arises with the structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,919 wherein opposed spring biased pawls 24 prevent rotation in one direction of socket 40, but the bottom annular surface of socket 40 is permitted to slidably engage with friction against the surface 19 of the wrench head 16, providing undesirable friction drive engagement of the socket portion of the wrench.
Similarly, the present inventor's wrench as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,487 utilizes toothed faces 14 of gears to engage the outer faces and corners 20 of the nut 19 which provides a sloppy gripping action between the socket portion and the nut or bolt head to be manipulated.